Opinion: Building and Securing Trust in Asia

Atul Singh, president of Coca-Cola Asia, speaks at the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Jakarta, Indonesia.

(Photo Credit: )

I am continuously amazed at the dynamism and immense
growth opportunities present throughout the Asia Pacific region. I was reminded of this fact once again when I
had the privilege this week to participate in the World Economic Forum
on East Asia in Jakarta. The event brought together global leaders
from business, government and civil society to discuss East Asia’s growth and
the future ahead.

Although one of the world’s fastest-growing regions and home to some
of the world’s most prosperous economies, we also know that the region’s rapid
growth has brought about increasing social, economic and environmental
challenges.

We need to address these challenges to ensure that the economy we
build is one that not only meets the needs of people today, but also lays a
foundation for future generations.

Consumers in Asia’s emerging markets are the most socially
conscious shoppers in the world. They need to trust who they’re buying from and
they care whether these companies are committed to creating positive social and
environmental impact.

When
quality slips, when companies make bad decisions, when corners are cut, when
backs are turned on communities and the environment, the market will tell us
so. Equally – the rise of social media
and proliferation of mobile devices – means that those mistakes can go viral
and be broadcast at a faster rate than in the past.

At
the same time, the market recognizes and rewards the efforts of companies who
earn strong profits and provide economic opportunities up and down their value
chains and across the communities they serve, when smart sustainability
initiatives that are embedded into the business provide the foundation for
future growth.

If corporations build trust in their brands by doing what’s right
for business – primarily grow, generate profit and reinvest in communities and
stakeholders – the rest will take care of itself.

But if we don’t, we pay the price of breaching that trust. In a
world of total transparency and always-on digital connections, trust that has
taken 128 years to develop can be destroyed in less than 128 seconds.

The only path: Do the right thing, every time in every location. And, we must do this with authenticity and transparency. Consumers, especially young people
today, expect nothing less.

This year, Coca-Cola celebrates the 100th anniversary
of the iconic Coca-Cola bottle. As a company, we are
129 years old next month and also celebrate more than 100 years in Asia Pacific. From Indonesia to Singapore, Australia to Myanmar,
Coca-Cola has been an integral part of this region’s growth story for the last
100 years.

We can only be as healthy, vibrant and resilient as the
communities we serve. That is why we are working with consumers, government and
local organizations to impact three areas that matter most to us: women, water
and well-being.

Through the collaborative impact of public-private partnerships,
we have championed water stewardship across
the region with more than 70 community water partnership projects in markets
such as India, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia. Already,
we are water neutral in countries such as Indonesia, meaning for every liter of
water we use in the production of our products, we replace it elsewhere – with
a goal to be water neutral globally as a company by 2020. In ASEAN and Asia
Pacific, we are ahead of this goal and on our way to be 100% neutral in every
market before 2020.

In Asia Pacific, we have helped more than 200,000 women entrepreneurs through our 5by20
initiative to overcome the barriers they face to succeed in business in markets
such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar and Vietnam.

And we are continuing our work in promoting well-being and
addressing the public health challenge of obesity through more than 100 active
healthy living programs in over 19 countries across Asia Pacific.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, offering over 500 brands to people in more than 200 countries. Of our 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 are available in lower- or no-sugar options to help people moderate their consumption of added sugar. In addition to our namesake Coca-Cola drinks, some of our leading brands around the world include: AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater, and Zico coconut water. At Coca-Cola, we’re serious about making positive contributions to the world. That starts with reducing sugar in our drinks and continuing to introduce new ones with added benefits. It also means continuously working to reduce our environmental impact, creating rewarding careers for our associates and bringing economic opportunity wherever we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people around the world.

The fairlife® brand is owned by fairlife, LLC, our joint venture with Select Milk Producers, Inc., and fairlife’s products are distributed by our Company and certain of our bottling partners.